CONVERSATIONS With Ricky Lo
from The Philippine Star

All together now:
Nasasabik sa unang araw ng iskwela
Taas kamay with confidence
LET’S DO THE FIRST DAY HIGH!!!
First day of school laging may kaba
Sino ba naman ang gustong mag-isa?
Sana may cute na makatabi
May bagong kaibigan tapos ng klase
Lakas loob, hanapin ang katropa
Sumabay sa sayaw!
LET’S DO THE FIRST DAY HIGH!!!

Those are the first few lines of the song First Day High, composed and sung by Kamikazee for the Rexona commercial, that has evolved into a pop hit just like the song by the late Richard Tann for the Hallmark commercial.

Every teener around seems to be getting that "first day high" whether they’re in or out of school and it’s perfect timing for Star Cinema to come up with a movie inspired by that song, directed by newcomer Mario Cornejo (a La Salle ComArts graduate, now taking up his M.A. in Creative Writing at UP, whose first work was the CineMalaya entry Bigtime).

First Day High the movie stars five of today’s vibrant, best-looking and most promising new faces cast as first-timers on (college) campus – Jason Abalos as Nice Guy High, Geoff Eigenmann as Rebel High, Kim Chiu as Brainy High, Maja Salvador as Sosy High and Gerald Anderson as MVP High.

Whether or not they’ll go on to become the Bagets of the Texting Generation – as the 50s’ counterparts of the Lo’Waist Gang led by FPJ and the 80s’ Bagets led by Aga Muhlach – remains to be seen.

Discovered by the ABS-CBN talent search Star Circle Quest (Batch 2), Jason, 20 (Jan. 14, 1986, Capricorn), is basically a promdi ("from the province" – Nueva Ecija, that is), a 5’ 10" matinee-idol material engineering undergraduate at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology.
Geoff, 21 (March 23, 1985, Aries), 5’8", is the most senior in the batch having started in showbiz two years ago, a Physical Therapy undergraduate at La Salle.
Kim, 16 (April 19, 1990, Taurus), was a junior at the Cebu Cherish (High) School when she stopped temporarily to enter Big Brother’s house, emerging from it as the top winner.
Maja, 17 (Oct. 5, 1988, Libra), a nursing student at San Benildo College in Cainta, Rizal, the daughter of actor Ross Rival (ex-husband of actress Alicia Alonzo; Maja’s mom is one of Ross’ other loves.)
Gerald, 17 (March 7, 1989, Pisces), touted by Universal Records as a Kilabot ng Dancefloor (he stars in a dance-hits UR album), is a fourth-year high school "home study" student, also an alumnus of Pinoy Big Brother (Teen Edition) like Kim.
Let’s pick the brains of these "First Day Highers" on issues concerning today’s youth.

• ON DATING
Kim: Better then than now. These days, pa-text-text na lang. You know, kita tayo dito, kita tayo doon. Mas maganda sana kung romantic, di ba? Like dinner by candlelight.
Gerald: I’m old-fashioned. Dating for me is a time for a girl and a boy to know each other.

• ON GOING STEADY
Kim: At 16, I’m too young to have a boyfriend. I’d rather concentrate on my career first and enjoy life.
Gerald: Some guys like to collect and select. Not me. If I have a girlfriend, she should be the only one. But I make sure that she’s the right one.

• ON PRE-MARITAL SEX
Kim: Huwag naman po agahan ang pagiging mainit ng katawan. We are young. We should enjoy every moment of our lives. What will happen if you’re 16 and you have a child (out of wedlock)? Eh, di ka na makakapag-enjoy sa buhay mo!
Gerald: Wait until you’re married before doing it. It’s hard in these permissiveness times. Some people can’t wait to do it before they get married. If they can’t control themselves, they should at least do it with the ones they love.

• ON GIMIK
Kim: Most young people today are fond of drinking. When they go out, when they go to the bar, ang suot halos nakahubad na. Sana huwag po ganoon. I’m not fond of gimik. I’d rather stay home and watch DVDs.
Gerald: I’m not fond of gimik. I prefer to spend time with my friends at home, theirs or mine, watching TV instead of drinking beer or alcohol in a club. Or play basketball and PS2.

• ON EDUCATION
Kim: If I didn’t end up in showbiz, I would have taken up a course in business administration. I’d like to finish high school and enroll in that course in college.
Gerald: I want to be a pilot. It’s my childhood dream.

• ON PARENTAL CONTROL
Kim: My parents have been separated. I grew up with my lola. I also spend more time with my mother than with my father whom I haven’t seen for a long time. But I still consult my parents as far as my career is concerned, even my father who has been getting in touch with me again lately.
Gerald: Being only 17, I entrust everything to my parents. Even if I turn 18, the legal age, I’d still want my parents to be there to guide me.

• ON CAREER AND COMPETITION
Kim: I won’t step on somebody’s toes just to get ahead. Do what you do best.
Gerald: There are so many new talents coming up, so many talent searches. Now, there’s Pinoy Dream Academy and Philippine Idol. So don’t let your guard down. Me, I try to improve on my dancing which is what I do best. I also want to take voice lessons.

• ON PEER PRESSURE
Kim: Don’t start any bad habit (like smoking, etc.) just because your friends are doing it. Once you start it, you might find it hard to stop.
Gerald: Luckily, I don’t go with bad company, I stay away from negative influences, so my peers can’t force me to do anything that I think is bad.

• ON CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Kim: Some young people think it’s cool not to respect their elders, to do anything they want. Basta ako, mano-mano pa rin ang gusto ko.
Gerald: Uphold our customs and traditions, especially Filipino customs like kissing the hands of elders, etc. We are what our age-old customs and traditions are. I grew up in the US but I’m very Filipino at heart.

• ON ROLE MODELS
Kim: Claudine Barretto. She has survived this long, mga intrigues at kung anu-ano pa. Sana maging katulad ko siya.
Gerald: Mark Herras, Kilabot ng Dancefloor; and John Prats, small but terrible. Especially Gary Valenciano. When we were inside Big Brother’s house, he visited us and gave me this advice: If you love what you do, give it your best. He said that what he’s doing is for God and I admire him for that. He also said that if even only one person in the audience is happy with his performance, happy na siya.